The present invention relates to the integration of two different communications networks. It particularly relates to a terminal which can be operate simultaneously in both networks.
Existing mobile communication networks have protocols which rigidly define specific parameters. For example, the GSM, D-AMPS and PDC networks operate using time division multiplexing (TDMA). For each frequency channel, a TDMA time frame is defined. The TDMA time frame has a fixed number of time slots of fixed duration and each time slot represents a channel through which a mobile terminal and a base station communicate. A particular terminal uses a time slot to transmit a message to the base station once per time frame and the base station uses another slot to transmit a message to the particular terminal once per time frame. The TDMA time frames are cyclically repeated one after the other.
The characteristics of the time frame vary from network to network. In the GSM network, the time frame is divided into eight time slots and each frame has a duration of 60/13 ms. In the D-AMPS and PDC networks, the time frame is divided into 3 slots, and each frame has a duration of 20 ms.
Other types of radio communications networks are proposed. One such network is the Bluetooth low power radio frequency (LPRF) network described at http://www.bluetooth.com. This communications network is proposed to obviate the need for physical electrical connections between electrical devices.
It would be desirable to integrate the new or proposed communications networks with an existing communications network or networks.